World's First Electric Car Race Kicks Off This Weekend

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The world of car racing is about to go green. The first-ever
racing series featuring only electric cars will begin this
weekend in China.

On Saturday (Sept. 13), sleekly designed
electric vehicles will zoom around a 2.14-mile (3.4
kilometers) course in Beijing that will take the cars past the
city's iconic "Bird's Nest" stadium, built for the 2008 Olympic
Games. The race begins at 4 p.m. local time (4 a.m. EDT).

The inaugural season of the so-called Formula E championship
series will run from September 2014 to June 2015, and will
include races in 10 cities around the world, including Beijing,
London and Miami. [ Top
10 Craziest Environmental Ideas ]

"The championship centers around three core values of Energy,
Environment and Entertainment, and is a fusion of engineering,
technology, sport, science, design, music and entertainment — all
combining to drive the change towards an electric future," race
organizers said on the Formula E
website.

The events represent "a vision for the future of the motor
industry over the coming decades, serving as a framework for
R&D around the electric vehicle, accelerating general
interest in these cars and promoting sustainability," according
to Formula E officials.

The first-ever Formula E season will feature 10 teams, each
represented by two drivers. The single-seater electric vehicles
will showcase the latest innovations in electrical energy and
battery technologies. Race organizers say they hope some of these
groundbreaking developments will eventually spur improvements to
existing electric vehicles on the market.

For Saturday's race, all 10 teams will use variations of the same
car, known as the Spark-Renault SRT_01E. The vehicle,
manufactured by the French company Spark Racing Technology, is
designed to produce zero emissions, and features some of the
latest electric car technologies.

The vehicle can generate 270 horsepower, and "aims to stretch the
boundaries of what is currently achievable in electric
motorsport, whilst ensuring a balance between cost-effectiveness
and sustainability, in addition to coping with the demands of
racing entirely on street circuits," according to Formula E
organizers.

The Formula E championship series has been sanctioned by the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, which is the governing
body for several major auto-racing events, including Formula
One races and the World Rally Championships.

The new racing series has already attracted several high-profile
backers, including Hollywood actor and staunch environmentalist
Leonardo DiCaprio, who co-founded the Venturi team, and British
billionaire Richard Branson, whose Virgin Racing team will also
be competing in the inaugural Formula E season.

This weekend's race in Beijing will air in the U.S. at 3:30 a.m.
EDT on Saturday on Fox Sports 1, and will be replayed on Sunday
(Sept. 14) at 1 p.m. EDT (check local listings).